A well-designed employee induction program will maximise your chances of ensuring a smooth transition for the new recruit into your business and assist them in being productive and efficient team members as quickly as possible. It should be about creating a positive impression, providing information as well as insight into your company. New employees are entering unknown territory with respect to their manager, team, work environment and culture so it is important that they are made to feel welcome as soon as possible and experience a structured introduction into their new workplace.
In putting together an effective employee induction program the following points should be considered as part of that process:
Welcome - organisational structure, meeting other employees, social programs, facilities tour
Logistics - access, keys, after hours, phones, email, mail, breaks, overtime, expected start and finish, cab charge, car parking
Administration - pay day, bank details, annual, sick, bereavement and parental leave, leave without pay, emergency contact, superannuation, public holidays, family friendly policies
Legal requirements - relevant legislation, equal opportunity, safety, harassment, confidentiality, termination, incident and accident reporting
Supervisor meeting - expectations, budgets, targets, performance incentives, career prospects, role defined, relationships defined, communication channels, evaluation and assessment
Training - desirable skills, external and internal opportunities, costs and rewards, mentoring programs
Questions - opportunity to ask questions of anyone in the company
Invariably, new employees will have a lot of questions, so it is also a good idea to consider allocating some time with a number of representatives from each area of your business so they can not only get to know each other, one on one, but also gain a comprehensive understanding of that person’s role in the company. This should also assist in integrating the new starter with existing employees and dispel any "us" and "them" mentalities that can sometime arise.
It is also worthwhile developing the items covered above into a manual that can be easily accessed by anyone in the company. This will not only reinforce policies for you but will ensure a uniform approach for new employees as well as a point of reference for existing staff.
Given that our industry consists of many small to medium sized businesses, it is likely that you will often have only one employee starting at any time and it is important to undertake a comprehensive induction each time a new employee commences. The time taken to do this will be well worth it as they will be fast tracked through all company procedures rather than be ‘thrown in the deep end" and having to learn them as they go.
Remember that aspects of any employee induction program should have some flexibility and be developed specifically to meet the needs of each new employee after taking into consideration their level in the organisation, relevant work experience and their new position description. Also, seek feedback from your employees, existing and new, on any elements of the induction process that can be improved or modified to ensure that the process remains relevant and up to date with company procedures and objectives.
The induction process really starts from the time you make an offer to a new employee and continues until they are completely comfortable within your business. This investment in time and attention to the induction process should minimise the period it takes for new employees to "fit in" and will have the added benefit of increasing their workplace satisfaction, productiveness in the business and, in turn, improve staff retention rates, employee commitment and team spirit within your business.
For further information contact Event Recruitment on (02) 9279 2019 or email info@eventrecruitment.com.au.